Take a moment to consider some of today's largest, most recognizable companies?"some of them may not be around after the next several years," says G. Michael Maddock, CEO of Maddock Douglas, which advises Fortune 100 players like GE and Wal-Mart.

"Napster was a rule-breaking company that paved the way for iTunes and the complete disruption of the music industry. When someone who has no business being in your business comes along and puts you out of business, we call that a 'Napster Moment.' And Napster Moments are happening more and more often," says Maddock, coauthor of "Free the Idea Monkey," (www.freetheideamonkey.com), with Maddock Douglas president Raphael Louis Vitón.

In a recent radio interview, hit maker and former Sony CEO Tommy Mottola (think: Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Beyoncé) said that seasoned record execs saw Napster as a "mosquito unworthy of swatting," and in hindsight realized that if they had just purchased the company, they would have "beaten iTunes to the punch."

The lesson? To succeed, company leaders must not only be able to innovate, they must recognize opportunity and ensure they're poised to seize it.

Maddock offers these tips for getting there:

1. Balancing act: Wherever you find an innovative culture, you will see two primary personalities in leadership: the "Idea Monkeys," who have no shortage of great ideas but do not have the follow-through to see a project to completion, and the (Ring)leaders, who specialize in execution and managing details. Every great enterprise needs a Yin for a Yang?Walt Disney had Roy Disney; Steve Jobs had Steve Wozniak; Wilbur Wright had Orville Wright. Ideally, an innovator needs a (Ring)leader at his or her side, and vice versa. Too much of one of these personalities spells disaster for any organization. Is your leadership humble enough to understand this?

2. Outside the jar: There's a great saying in the South: "You can't read the label when you're sitting inside the jar." If you've been at the same company for longer than six months, you're likely in the jar. You'll find your response to new ideas is typically, "We've tried that and it didn't work," or "Yes, but...," or silence, or even a dumbfounded "huh?" Fortunately, there are several ways to get your head outside the jar: Accept ideas from junior personnel, seek perspectives from different departments, and switch up leadership roles, i.e., have a senior marketer switch from retail to manufacturing for a period of time and, most important, infuse perspective from outside your industry. Diversity is the key to a fresh perspective. Is your expertise killing you?

3. Laughter (more than stress relief): As a response to humor, laughter is uniquely human; as far as we know, no other living thing can laugh. In business, laughter is the antithesis of fear. It is impossible to innovate effectively if you are afraid?nothing kills great ideas like fear. Fun-loving environments where workers are free to laugh are healthy places for creativity. One more thing...if lots of people laugh at an idea, there is usually a meaningful insight there worthy of much deeper exploration. When was the last time you heard your CEO belly laugh?

4. Failing forward: History is filled with people who risked and lost much, yet went on to change the world. From religious leaders to Christopher Columbus to Winston Churchill to today's budding entrepreneurs, learning how to efficiently experiment and learn is key to innovation success. Does your company embrace risk taking or is it too afraid to fail?

5. Be ruthless: Ultimately, the buck stops with leadership, and managers get the team they deserve. Most well-adjusted people do not like firing employees; however, people stuck in the "victim" mindset are incapable of innovation. Why? Because they are always looking for fault or blame instead of possibility. Do you have a team of creators or do you have a team of victims?

About G. Michael Maddock

G. Michael Maddock is the founding partner and CEO of the leading innovation agency Maddock Douglas, which has helped more than 25 percent of Fortune 100 companies invent, brand and launch new products, services and business models. A serial entrepreneur, Maddock has launched four successful businesses and cochairs the Gathering of Titans Entrepreneurial Conclave at MIT. He is a featured columnist for Forbes.

On Eve of Sequestration Iowans Gather: Cut Pentagon Bloat to Protect Our Communities

Rally: Thursday, Feb. 28; 2:00 pm
Gateway School; 1800 Grand Ave
Des Moines, IA

Giving witness to the out of control Pentagon budget, Iowans will gather with a 20-foot banner depicting the US discretionary budget. Over half of the banner represents Pentagon spending.

The soon to be closed Gateway School is the site of the rally to symbolize the toll Pentagon and war spending takes on our schools and our communities.

"The Pentagon and war budget has exploded since 2002, increasing by 48% in that time," said Kathleen McQuillen of the American Friends Service Committee.  "During that same time the budget for programs such as public health, the environment, education, and services to children with disabilities has grown only by 8%. The Pentagon can well afford the sequestration cuts?our children and our environment cannot."

Sponsors of the rally include the American Friends Service Committee and the Catholic Peace Ministry.

For more information: Kathleen McQuillen, 515-710-9902.

Davenport, IA- Have an old collectible collecting dust and are unsure what it could be? Or wonder how much your heirloom is really worth? We have local experts that can help with your questions! On Saturday, March 9th the German American Heritage Center will be hosting "Collectible Spectacle!" from 1-3pm.

Bring up to 3 items to be appraised for only $10 a piece! Our friends in the antique community are donating their time to appraise these objects, all proceeds benefit GAHC! Entry to the event is free! Exhibitions are at regular admission rate.

German American Heritage Center is located at 712 W. 2nd St. Davenport, IA at the foot of the
Centennial Bridge. Call 563-322-8844 or email kelly.lao@gahc.org for more information!

Simon, members hear how gun laws intersect with trauma, health care and mental health fields

SPRINGFIELD - February 27, 2013. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon's Firearms Working Group met today with experts in trauma, mental health care, domestic violence prevention and public health fields to learn how gun laws affect quality of life issues.

The working group, comprised of freshmen Senators and Representatives from across the state, is meeting with stakeholders on all sides of the gun safety debate as the General Assembly considers Illinois' first law to allow Illinoisans to carry concealed firearms.

"The intersection of guns and domestic violence can be tragic," said Simon, a lawyer who has prosecuted domestic battery cases. "As the General Assembly considers gun legislation, it is important that we balance public safety with our Second Amendment right."

The working group met with experts from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women's Network, the Center for Prevention of Abuse in Peoria, the Illinois Association of Court Clerks and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The meeting comes one day after the House began discussing significant gun reforms, including dozens of firearms-related amendments filed to House Bill 1155. Illinois has until June to pass a law that permits people to carry concealed guns in public spaces.

Currently Illinois is the only state in the nation with a law that bans carrying concealed firearms. The law was declared unconstitutional in December by a three-member panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the state was given 180 days to pass a constitutional law.

Over the next month, the working group will continue meeting with stakeholders on all sides of the debate - from hunters to law enforcement to education professionals - to promote dialogue and work toward consensus on pending legislation. Please visit www.ltgov.il.gov/guns for additional information about the working group.